[Propertalk] Fwd: Part 1 of 2 [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 4C

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Forwarded: Part 1 of 2


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-------- Original message --------
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org> 
Date:03/05/2016  9:04 PM  (GMT-05:00) 
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org> 
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 4C 

Dear Friends,

 

This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “The TWO Sons” or “My Father’s Heart” and deals with the Gospel (Luke 15: 11- 32).  Here it is:  

 

“Sons, both of them?” you’re thinking!?  I thought there was just one- the prodigal son, the sinful adventurer.  Just wait- we’re getting ahead of ourselves.  This parable has many life lessons for us.  You just heard the story:  The younger son was sick and tired of the same boring routine and all the work that went along with farming.  He wanted some excitement big time, so he went to his father and asked for his inheritance now, instead of waiting until his dad was dead.  As you probably remember, in that society, the oldest son got a double portion of the family inheritance, so the younger son got one-third of the father’s belongings.  Since the father wasn’t dead yet, we would have been talking about livestock and the tools for making a living.  This means that the father made a great sacrifice in his own standard of living, because some of those livestock would have gone on to reproduce.  In our time it would be like giving your child investments from your 401 k- the source from which your retirement comes.  Not only was it a real sacrifice, it was extremely disrespectful.  In that culture, as in ours, you just didn’t do that!  It was almost like telling his father to “drop dead!”  Well, in spite of the rude request, the father gives the youngest son what would be his share of the father’s belongings, and off the son goes.

 

You know what happens next.  The younger son parties away all his money; then the economy goes bad, and the only kind of work he can get is caring for pigs- animals considered by Jewish people of that day to be filthy, unclean, and not to be even touched.  He was starving- even willing to eat pig food (probably carob leaves- used these days by health food lovers as fake chocolate) - but no one would give him anything.  He comes to his senses and makes a plan for how to go home.  He knows his father treats his hired servants fairly, so he figures he can go back as one of the workers, save his wages, pay his father back, and then be accepted once again as a son.  His father must have been watching for him, because he sees his younger son coming a long way off.  He runs to him; embraces him; welcomes him home, won’t listen to any of his “hired servant” scheme; and throws a gigantic welcome-home party.  You notice- there is nothing said about the son getting more inheritance.  This is where we usually end the story, but we have so far only met one lost son.  Here comes the other, because the elder son is furious when he finds out what happened!  He won’t go in the house to join in the celebrating, so the father comes out and entreats him.  We never do find out what happened.

 

That’s the story Jesus told.  Each character speaks to our lives today.  Let’s look at the younger son first.  Did you hear about the man who lost his gas cap at the gas station when he filled his tank?  Instead of going back to the gas station and meticulously retracing his path, he figured that other people had done the same thing, and their caps would be along this very road, so he looked in the ditch and found a gas cap that would fit.  “In fact,” he figured, “this one’s even better than the one I lost- it locks.”  Considering himself very lucky, he put it on his car.  MISTAKE!  That gas cap worked really well- until he needed gas again, and then…….He got what he wanted, but the trouble was, he didn’t know what to do with it when he got it.  That’s just what happened to that younger son.  He must have considered himself very lucky when his father fell for his request.  He got just the freedom he wanted, but he really didn’t know what to do with it after he got it!  Dr. Tony Evans reminds us that sin is like that- slavery that looks like freedom for a while.  Have you ever been like that younger son- done something REALLY wrong or stupid or both?  Here are the temptations that go with being a “younger son” type:

Did you notice he went to a far country where he could be anonymous?  Don’t fall for that.  Scripture is right when it says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23).  Maybe no one else knows, but you and God both know.  Unconfessed sin will poison your spirit.

Thinking, “My sin is so terrible that it can’t be forgiven.”  Hogwash!  The blood of Jesus Christ is stronger than any sin!  Confess it; if possible make restitution for it; and you and God turn your life around.  If you fail, continue the process until you succeed and also do number three (next item).

Thinking, “My sin is a habit- I can’t change.”  Again- hogwash!  If necessary, make a formal confession to your priest; get professional help; don’t miss one Sunday of the input of the Word, your Holy Communion, and the support of your Christian friends.  The power of God is stronger than anything the devil can throw at you.

 

The other lost son was the older one.  Did you notice how his jealousy and self-righteousness separated him from his father?  Have you ever looked at someone and thought- “How could he or she do that?  And now they want MY forgiveness?”  Here are four thoughts about forgiveness that will reduce our tendency to become like the lost older son: 

(Continued in Part 2)

 

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org .

 

Blessed preaching,

Judy Boli

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Saginaw, Michigan

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